Empire Film Awards: Aspiring actress Sarah Harding upstages the stars in her LBD

During Girl's Aloud's hiatus, Sarah Harding has been focusing her energies on building her acting career.

So last night the 28-year-old singer continued her career path on its natural progression with a first attendance at a proper movie bash at the the Empire Film Awards.

She may only have had a supporting role
in the St Trinian's sequel, but that didn't stop her stealing the
limelight in a cowl-neck black and pink LBD that showed off ehr tanned
physique.

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Since the girl group announced they were taking a year-long break in June last year, Harding has played a rebellious schoolgirl in St Trinian's II: The Legend Of Fritton's Gold and BBC drama Freefall.

Harding was among dozens of stars who dressed up for the star-studded bash at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.

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Going for more traditional full-length glamour in a long blue dress was Jaime Winstone, who arrived with her whole family to watch her father Ray pick up the Outstanding Contribution To British Film Award.

The big winners at last night's awards
- which is voted for by the public - was sci-fi epic Avatar, which was
named Best Film, Best Director for James Cameron and Best Actress for
Zoe Saldana.

Introducing Law, Paltrow admitted she may have drunk too many Jameson cocktails, who were sponsoring the event.

She even turned the air blue when she said: 'The winner of this award is that rare breed who is both character actor
and movie star, versatile and substantial. He's worked with some of the
world's greatest film-makers, the motherf**ker...

'Please be upstanding for the gorgeous, beautiful, talented Jude Law!
Stand up. I know we're in England but it's OK to show some love.'

The actor said: 'I don't feel much like a hero - here's all the real heroes out
there. But I suppose thanks to Jameson and Empire I can be a hero for
one day, like David Bowie.

'This makes me think of all the great people
I've worked with, all the actors and directors and editors and
composers, and they all contributed to what we just saw - especially my
late, great friend Anthony Minghella. Thank you very much.'

Accepting the Empire Icon Award for his six decade-long career from his Waiting For Godot co-stars Patrick Stewart and Roger Rees, McKellen joked: 'These two beautiful men, I've been working with them separately
on Waiting for Godot. The thing is that just one of them is gay, and
it's very difficult to tell which one.

'After six months with Patrick in
the dressing room I really thought I could live with him; he just wants
to sit down and have a chat about his career...

'I always set out to be a stage actor, but rather late in the day I made
films that people actually saw - so let that be an inspiration to those
of you who have not yet stood up here receiving one of these. Be ready
for the luck when it comes, is my advice.'